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Spending 8 hours a day at work, sitting behind a desk can be a detriment to our health. Without even realizing it, our days pass b, and the only time we get up from our desk is for our 5 cups of coffee. Here at EDPR, we have pledged to go on a bit of a health kick (kale chips and all) s0, in the spirit of health, we are giving you some tips for short and easy exercises you can do in the office to improve your physical and mental health. These are our top 5 picks!

1. Leg Lifts

Sitting in your chair, slowly lift each leg and lower. Repeat multiple times. If you are looking for more of a challenge, lift your leg and hold straight for 5 seconds then, slowly lower back to the floor. These exercises will help increase leg circulation and strengthen your thigh muscle.

2. The Desk Push-up

Stand up and face your desk. With your hands shoulder width apart,  place them in front of you on the edge of your desk. Move your feet backwards until your weight is being supported by both your arms and feet (moving back about 1 meter should do the trick). Now, proceed to do a push-up much like you would on the floor; bending your elbows to 90 degrees and straightening them back out. Do as many as you feel comfortable with.

3. Squats

Ah, the classic squat. This is a simple exercise you can do at your desk that helps you tighten those glutes. Here is how it works: stand-up and move your chair out of the way. With your feet shoulder width apart, slowly bend into a sitting position and stand back up. Be sure to keep your back straight and don’t bend your knees past 90 degrees. For more of a challenge hold the seated position for an extra 5 seconds during every squat.

4. Go For a Walk

While on your lunch break, instead of spending 40 minutes reading your favourite book, go for a walk, either in the office or outside (walking down the street to McDonald’s does’t count). This will leave you refreshed for the afternoon workload.

5. A Stretch For The Typist 

For many of us, our day is consumed typing on a computer. To avoid any of those nasty typing injuries like carpal tunnel, take time everyday to stretch out those wrists. Stand at you desk with your arms straight down in front of you. Place the top of your hands on the desk , fingers facing towards you. Press down gently until you feel a small stretch. This will help relieve the tension you feel in your arms and wrists.

Check out this video for a quick 10 minute desk work out!
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Writers note: There are some workplaces and jobs where these may not be viewed as an appropriate format. However, if this is how you’d consider your personal brand to be represented on paper, perhaps the job isn’t for you.

THE RESUMES

Paolo shows amazing visuals to demonstrate his extensive knowledge and expertise. It’s good to have the traditional bits of a resume merged with image. Plus, his website rocks.. click image to visit.

Karina May demonstrates her work as a content editor. She used VISUAL.LY, a free inforgraphic service.

Michelle Magoffin’s resume has a LOT of content, but also a great amount of personality. She also offers the opportunity to scan the QR code on the image to access a traditional CV. Click on the image to see a larger size.

Hopefully these inspire you to shake up your resume a little bit to become a more competitive player in your job hunt. Do you have any other examples of great resumes? Share links in the comments.

Self awareness is one of the most valuable attributes that an individual can ever adapt. Being able to step outside of a situation, and evaluate it from another’s perspective can be a turning point in personal success. Think about it: when someone apologizes or shows a little humility (rather than a rigid backbone and an inability to compromise), we immediately start to respect them a little bit more. After all, it takes a lot more confidence and conviction to admit a misstep, than to be cowardly and hide behind wrong doings.

Because it can be difficult at times to swallow your pride, here are a few tips to help you when you need to hide your tail in-between your hind legs:

• Put yourself in their shoes: Think about it – how would you really feel if the situation were reversed? What would your reaction be, and what would make things better?
• Be understanding: Know that your mistakes often have more impact than you think. There’s usually a chain reaction to things, so owning up early stops a vicious cycle.
• Take responsibility: There’s plenty of times that I’ve screwed up because of things I’ve done, and sometimes at the fault of others. The thing is: it doesn’t matter now – the mistake is made. Own up, and you’ll earn more respect from the recipient of the news.
• Accept your consequences: This can really suck, but consequences don’t last forever. Take the right actions to correct what you can, and practice damage control. Do everything in your power to help diffuse the impact of your actions.  Be prepared to embrace whatever comes your way as a result of the mistakes you’ve made.
• Own the disruption: Taking responsibility means being prepared to fix the problem: which means you need a master plan. Be sure to put some real thought into how you can help mend any of the problems you’ve caused.
• Be sincere: This speaks for itself. Hopefully you can look inside yourself, and rid yourself of any unnecessary bravado. We’re human, we all screw up sometimes.
• Apologize: Really. And don’t half-ass it. Mean it.

The reality is, we all have moments we aren’t proud of – even times of complete stupidity. Be the bigger person, stand up, and move on. The faster you jump to correct mistakes, the better you’ll feel, and the more trust you’ll gain. Humility is not always innate, but it’s a skill everyone should definitely learn.

Image via

Mom says it best. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the person in my family that grandma (who is now on Facebook), grandpa, mom, dad and even brother have gone to when they have questions about digital. Perhaps this comes from a long history of toying with my Dad’s business computer growing up – and being personally responsible for its many crashes. I learned a lot through trial and error, and always seemed to pick up knowledge with each computer crash. I honestly can’t imagine what it would have been like to grow up with no PC in the home. Technology is ingrained in my generation’s identity, and because of this: it’s apparent that there’s a perceived divide between my generation, and the ones before me.

The question is: Is this perceived divide a reality? Working in a digital environment, I’m constantly surrounded by people who are technologically savvy. Yes, there are moments when my elder coworkers aren’t always aware of some of the current technology advances – but the door swings both ways. I’m part of a generation that has a need for speed – and a knack for multi-tasking, but we’re taught patience and quality by those who have come before us. I don’t think that there is a divide: but a fantastic opportunity for personal growth and development. We’re all human – and can leverage all skill sets with effective communication and understanding. The divide becomes more of an asset – as we now have an opportunity to learn from each other. There’s a great article posted by the Financial Post that I saw today, and I want to share with you the highlights of identifying how to embrace Gen Y.

Bend Most entrepreneurs are proud to change as their customers evolve; now they must shift gears as their workforce changes. If you don’t meet Gen Y at least halfway, you’ll miss out on the best and brightest of a generation.

GenY is impressed only by competence They don’t care about titles or traditional authority. “They want leaders who are inspiring, genuine and authentic,” Montalbano says. “They need to understand the ‘why’ in everything they do.”

Learn to collaborate, not dictate Employers tend to create a central strategy and then push it down through the organization. Gen Y-ers crave structure, but they want a say in creating it. “Get them involved in the business of the business,” Graff advises. Instead of telling employees what to do, break them into teams to develop their own solutions.

Help Gen Y succeed Gen X may be individualists, but Gen Y want to succeed within the organization. Encourage ambition, Graff and Montalbano say, by offering regular coaching and mentoring, training and cross-training, and formal succession plans. In Gen X, Montalbano says, “We all wanted mentoring and coaching, but we didn’t get it. Gen Y says that’s not acceptable: ‘I need to know exactly where I stand so I can move to the next level’. ”

Live your values For Boomers, it was all about the work. For Gen Y, it’s the meaning of their work. Who are they helping? What values does their employer represent, beyond making money? “With Gen Y, the reward is meaningful work,” Montalbano says. “They will work hard, they will work 24/7, if what they are doing is meaningful.”

Encourage collective work Millennials are loyal — but not to their employer. Raised on preschool, team sports and multiplayer online games, Gen Y are loyal to their groups. “Their peers are the most important part of their job,” Graff says. “They’ve been brought up with others; working by themselves is near death.” Involve more employees in the hiring process, he says: When peers pick their co-workers, an organization becomes “stickier.”

Focus on balance Boomers worked all-out to get ahead; Gen X introduced the concept of work-life balance. Gen Y makes it mandatory. “They are not living to work, they are working to live,” Graff says. Adds Montalbano: “They will not negotiate their extracurricular activities for work.”

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/2012/07/02/gen-yers-require-care-and-nuturing/

Reality is: I’ll always be excited to work with the generations before me, and those below. Collaboration is one of the key factors to success, and success is something achieved by every generation in one form or another.  Plus, it’s kind of amazing that my Grandma is on Facebook. What are your thoughts? Do you think that there is a divide between generations?

Last month, I turned 25. Since becoming gainfully employed, I’ve made a lot of professional mistakes—and learned a few things, along the way. Here are 25 of them. Let me know if you agree, or what you would add to this list.

By 25, you should know how to:

1. Take rejection with poise.

By now you should’ve faced some sort of professional rejection. My favorite was having my résumé handed back to me after a job interview.

2. Do your own bitch work.

Empathy is an important trait for all managers. Knowing what it’s like to do the grunt work makes you appreciate those who have to do it after you. Assuming that you are not above anything will help you soar in your career.

3. Craft an appropriate LinkedIn connection invite request.

I don’t mind getting LinkedIn connection requests from random people, but it irritates me when they don’t have a tailored message and instead use the standard LinkedIn invite line. Here’s an idea for something that could work: “Hi Jenny, I noticed we both work in the Chicago marketing scene and wanted to connect with you. Maybe I could buy you a cup of coffee/tea in the near future to learn more about what you do?”

4. Ask for a raise.

When you’re worth more than you earn, you need to know how to ask for more. After being out of school for three years, learn how to broach the topic. Not sure how to do that? Read this.

5. Delegate work.

Delegating responsibility is underrated. By 25, you should know when it’s appropriate to delegate and how to do it. For example, if someone asks me to perform a task that is within my power, but I don’t have the time for it, I look for the colleague it makes most sense to perform that task regularly, and ask him or her to do it.

6. Pick your battles.

Not every battle is worth fighting; you should know which are worth your time and energy. Getting upset with the way someone sends incessant emails takes a backseat to someone who fails to communicate important pieces of information.

7. Unplug.

Once you answer that work email at 11 p.m., you set a precedent that you’re available 24/7. Unless it’s an emergency, try not to check your work email (or mark it unread and deal with it when you get to the office).

8. Put in your two-weeks’ notice.

If you’re lucky enough to have loved your first job out of college and are still there by 25, bravo! But you should know how to tactfully put in your two weeks’ notice, if you make a career move. This requires a written resignation. Here’s a great guide on doing the dirty deed.

9. Tactfully give your business card at a networking event.

No one likes the business card ninja who swoops in, throws his or her card at you, and leaves you stunned. First, have a conversation with someone. Find out stuff you have in common. Then offer your card as a way to stay in touch.

10. Avoid getting sloppy at a networking event.

An open bar doesn’t give you permission to act like you did at college frat parties. Have a few drinks to loosen up, but keep it professional.

11. Prioritize your time.

For example, tackle your bigger work issues toward the beginning of the day and save your smaller, less important tasks for the end of the day when you’re winding down. Remember: There’s always tomorrow.

12. Set professional goals.

You want accomplishments on your résumé, not just finished tasks. Setting annual professional goals will set you on track to advance your career. Meeting mentors in your industry through networking events and LinkedIn will help you realize what goals you need to prioritize.

13. Send an SOS.

Chances are you’ve felt overwhelmed by your workload at least once in your career. Knowing when and how to send a help signal to your manager and or co-workers is essential to preventing burnout.

14. Conduct an interview.

Knowing how to interview someone is an important skill. Not only does it teach you how to ask the right questions, but also it teaches you what skill set and personality you value in yourself and your potential co-workers.

15. Communicate.

Communication, when done well, sets you apart from other young professionals. Good communication is a strong asset, so learn it while you’re in the beginning stages of your career. For example, when emailing project specs, I copy as many people I think will benefit from the discussion. Bringing someone in during the later stages of development could mean painful—and unnecessary—back-peddling.

16. Handle being caught venting about co-workers.

It happens to the best of us. Your co-worker commits a major faux pas, and you need to vent about it to another co-worker. Then you get caught. Knowing how to turn it into a dialogue with constructive criticism—or knowing how to avoid it all together—is important.

17. Not sweat the small stuff (you’re not curing cancer).

Unless, of course, you are curing cancer. Then disregard. Ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?” If not, don’t sweat it. Acknowledge your mistake and learn from it.

18. Invest in your 401(k)—or at least think about it.

The numbers don’t lie. Someone who starts saving before the age of 25 accrues more interest than someone who starts saving at 30. Not sure how much to invest? This is a great guide.

19. Be a team player.

No one likes a selfish co-worker. Learn this healthy habit early in your career to get ahead of those who didn’t. You can operate under the “CYA” (cover your ass) mentality, just make sure it doesn’t turn into a “TUB” (throw under the bus) one.

20. Talk to the CEO of your company.

Get sweaty palms talking to authority figures? Nix those nerves now.

21. Lead a meeting.

You’ll need to learn how eventually, why not get it out of the way before you turn 25? Have a meeting agenda, and make sure you open it for discussion as often as you can so you’re not the only one talking. Also, you can take it one step further by following up with action items and decisions made during the meeting.

22. Ask for time off without feeling guilty.

You earn your time off, so it’s important to take it with a clean conscience. If you’re planning on having a “Treat yo self” day, look into local brewery tours, daytime trapeze classes, or some simple retail therapy.

23. Put together a visual report.

Putting information into a strong visual report speaks volumes more than just throwing the numbers onto a spreadsheet and clicking send. About 60 percent of people are visual learners, so it’s important to make your information pop with charts and graphs.

24. Give your elevator pitch.

Since I work for a small company, the question I get asked the most is, “What’s Ragan?” It took some practice, but I finally got my company’s elevator pitch down a few months after joining the team. Not sure what yours is? Listen to what your co-workers say.

25. Be a mentor.

By the time you’re three years out of college, you will have had at least one younger person ask you for career advice. Understanding the impact you have as a mentor is powerful, and the relationships you have with mentees can be some of the most rewarding ones you’ll have in your mid-20s.

Jenny Fukumoto is a marketing manager at Ragan Communications, which publishes PR Daily. She is also a self-proclaimed Mexicanese marketer, beer buff and networking nerd. A version of this story first appeared on Ragan’s Millennial Mafia blog.

1. Be sure to shower and dress when you wake up.

This may sound silly, but it really is necessity. Get out of those PJs, and into some fresh clothes – psychologically, you’ll be more prepared to work effectively.

2. Set up a work station.

Don’t you dare contemplate laying in bed – make sure you either move to a room that can work as a functional office, or set up a table in the kitchen.

3. Make a to-do list.

Put together a full list of the tasks and work that you want to accomplish throughout the day. You’ll be able to track your progress easier, and accomplish more with a step by step layout.

4. Take breaks.

Don’t feel guilty about it either. Make sure you take time to grab water, a coffee, and even step out for lunch. A stimulated brain is one that maintains diversity.

5. Check-in with your co-workers, or colleagues.

It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re all alone and working away. Be sure to get some human interaction in your day, and update others on some of your progress/offer your help (if you have the time). Engaging with others is key to keeping your mind focused.

6. Make sure you’re always available during your working hours.

Whether it’s through email or by phone, be sure that you are always reachable. Your co-workers will appreciate that you’re always around – and it makes it easier for everyone considering you’re not at your desk to consult throughout the day.

Have you got any tips or tricks you use when working from home? Share them in the comments below!

Looking for a new job usually means the joyful process of interviews. While you should dust off your resumé, you should also polish up your wardrobe, since making a good first impression is a key part of nailing the position you really want. Being sharply dressed and well-groomed can be almost as important as previous experience and the number of degrees under your belt, or at least could fool them into thinking you look the part.

What you need to purchase to outfit yourself perfectly doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and all the pieces that you need are those that should be an essential part of your wardrobe regardless of where you work. Think of them as the basics – pieces that will take you from work to a date to jury duty.

Image Source: http://www.HM.com/ca

For Guys:

Guys need a nice pair of dress pants, a crisp dress shirt, and a stand-out tie. If you’re interviewing for the Vice President of International Corporate Banking, a jacket would definitely be appropriate. Check out the choices at H & M, where you can find a veritable rainbow of men’s superbly cut dress shirts for a mere $29.95, as well as jackets that range in price from $49.95 to $149. And you can easily pick up a nice designer tie at Winners or Marshalls that will only look expensive.

I love the Banana Republic Factory Store for finding really well made career clothes at incredible pricing. Sign up for their emails and you’ll receive a welcome discount offer as well as notification of upcoming sales events. And I always check out the clearance section where you can score some amazing deals.  Last week I found men’s suit jackets that were regularly $179 for a mere $39.99.

For Girls:

Image Source: http://www.gapcanada.ca

Girls can go with pants or a skirt, just follow some of the same rules. Basic black or gray bottoms and the ubiquitous crisp shirt. Check out the Gap for their ‘perfect shirt’ for $49.50, which offers a beautifully tailored fit and a quality which will last for years. Jazz it up with some bold jewelry or a bright scarf.

Don’t be afraid to shop in places you may never have thought of to score some great basics at unbelievable prices. Walmart has a fantastic selection of career dress pants and basic shirts from their George™ line, with a variety of pants in modern cuts available from as little as $20.

One of the most important things to make sure of before you leave the house – check that your shoes are clean and polished if necessary. One of my little tricks to spiff up a pair of black shoes is to grab a Sharpie marker and colour in any worn spots, just a couple of dabs of ink can make a huge difference. My mother always said you can tell a person’s pride by the way the care for their shoes.

Always carry extra gum or mints with you. There is absolutely nothing worse than speaking to someone and having to inhale their latte breath or remnants of the extra onions you got on your sub at lunch, but never, EVER chew gum during the interview. And NEVER wear flip flops – unless you’re interviewing at the Head Office of Havaianas.

Don’t Forget!

And don’t forget the most important thing to wear – CONFIDENCE! With enough of it, you’ll be sitting in the big corner office in no time at all, and your assistant will gratefully polish your shoes for you.

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As I mentioned yesterday, I have the pleasure of speaking about Foursquare and Pinterest tomorrow for Torstar Digital’s University program! I’m taking this opportunity to provide you all with a sneak peek at the slides I’ll be presenting with. Have a look, and enjoy the case study videos! Tomorrow, I’ll have a video of the presentation for you to enjoy and learn with! Thanks for checking in, and let me know  if you have any questions about the deck below!

Also, keep your eyes peeled over the next 24 hours for a guest blog post from my dear friend, @shopwithrobin! She’ll be providing some great insights on interview attire!

Download the FourPin+ presentation here.

Chances are: a curse word followed by a swift move to pick up the umbrella on your way out the door are in your near future. Here’s the thing you may be missing -  40% chance of rain actually means 60% of sunshine. Refreshing, right?

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be taking your umbrella out with you in the morning – but also, properly look at the information in front of you, and choose your perspective.

We’ve all heard the familiar ‘glass half full’ analogies, and I can honestly admit that I sometimes find them incredibly annoying – particularly when the timing is off. I’ll admit: I spend a majority of my life planning for the worst. I find that there’s great benefits from always expecting the outcome will turn out sour. It prepares your mind in advance of bad news, and if by chance it all goes well – you’re pleasantly surprised.

All of that said, there’s one important concept that can easily be forgotten. You can prepare yourself without allowing negativity or fear to take over. It’s easy to let little things distract you in life, but with a proper perspective – you can be fully prepared to embrace disruption.

When you encounter situations that you find challenging or even a test of your patience, there’s a few questions you can ask yourself to get in the right mindset.

• Can I change the outcome of the situation? If not, accept it and make the best – sweating small stuff isn’t worth the heart attack.

• How can I prepare myself? Think about what you can do to limit the amount of negativity in the situation, and brace yourself for the unexpected.

• Will this matter a year from now? If not, try to figure out how to deal with the situation, and realize that the outcome won’t last forever

• Will it reflect badly on me if I’m resistant to the situation? Chances are, the people who have positive and open mindsets are viewed as more evolved and progressive human beings.

Believe me, I know how tempting it can be to fly off the handle or jump to negative thinking. We’re all guilty of it – we’re human. Hopefully this post can help you work towards seeing the 60% chance of sunshine on the horizon, while still keeping an umbrella in your back pocket (just incase).

I’m here to tell you right now – that a simple cut and paste job into your status will NOT automatically re-instate your rights, or any other objective you have in your head. This paragraph is not legally binding and frankly, the fact that Facebook has gone public is completely unrelated to the privacy of your content.

The fact is: social networks are not made for private storage. What this means for you? That regardless of privacy settings, personal preferences and the like: you should treat every photo, sentence and your shared content as though your grandmother/mother/employer/future employer CAN and WILL see everything.

In light of this, here’s a few things you can do to clean up any questionable stuff you may have lying around in your past:

1. Delete Questionable Photos: If you’re emotionally attached to them, save them somewhere. Regardless of the privacy settings- there are several ways these can be accessed (including by that person who just interviewed you for your dream job).

2. Censor Yourself: Obviously these networks are all made for you to express yourself, but keep in mind that it’s possible that everything you say online can be publicly retrieved. Keep your controversial conversations to ‘in-person’ – it could be the difference between scoring a potential job, client or even a relationship.

3. Download Your Facebook History: This is easy to do by going to your general settings menu (see picture). Sometimes we forget just exactly what we have listed online, and this is a resource to really go back and decipher what should be edited or deleted.

4. Everyone and Everything Is A Brand: Everything you say, everything you do, and everything you endorse is a reflection of yourself online. Put thought into the future when posting in the present – you never know what tomorrow brings.

Do you have additional tips or suggestions to avoid unnecessary disruption? Share them in the comments!

And finally, I found yet another INFOGRAPHIC that I’m obsessed with. It claims that there are 2 types of mindsets in which a person can adopt into their lifestyle. Personally, I think that people can mix and match the two mindset attributes, and it’s not always so black and white. That said, it’s still very interesting – and a good check-in guide to make sure you’re fully ‘embracing disruption’.

As always, I love hearing your feedback. Be sure to tell me your thoughts on this INFOGRAPHIC!

1. The Executor

The title speaks volumes. This individual is fantastic at getting the job done, and will accomplish all that you ask of them. They work while they’re at work, and when the time comes – they ‘punch-out’ and return to their daily lives and families. This type generally is apt to have a strong list of outside hobbies, and interests beyond their work.

2. The Die Hard

No, not the action packed Bruce Willis type, but the individual who doesn’t (and can’t) leave their work at their desk. These people wake up in the morning with their mind ‘a-buzz’, pre-calculating their days and constantly diverting to work related subjects in their heads (on and off the clock). These people tend to be driven by a certain passion that simply won’t rest until they’ve proven themselves, or contributed to a self-dictated bench mark of their liking.

I find that I tend to fall into type 2 regularly, as I’m always thinking about what I can do to make the product or service I’m working on better. My friends and family would agree: I always have something to input, and I certainly won’t hold back an opinion if I feel strongly about it.

Now both motivational types are extremely valuable to a company: one finds pure enjoyment in fulfilling what’s required and can turn the ‘work switch’ off, while the other’s passion drives them to an unparallelled loyalty to their company or brand objectives. I feel that part of a great workplace is having a balance of talent to compliment each other: there’s absolutely no point in a group of same-minded people working together. That will leave a zero percent chance that as a team, you’ll uncover ground breaking territory and really innovate as the world demands today.

Now it’s your turn to sound off: what ‘type’ are you, and what do you find motivates you in the workplace? I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on this subject, and welcome any feedback or questions.